Round 11 (continued):
"Tribesman pass me your sword, trust me," Haammurabi tells Indo. "Take care, and my father's sword will serve you well," says Indo, dropping his temple blade which immediately shrinks to normal size. He lunges for the Queen, but his arms close around a figment which fades from view. She strikes at him with one of her snake-hands, but smashes it into the corner of the wall instead, causing the viper-head to hiss angrily. The Queen prays again, and once more a wave of negative energy washes through the room. And once again, another double reappears to replace the one hit by Indo.
Hammurabi runs past Skittle and casts a spell, saying, "Serpent Queen, your tricks and guise will not save you from my next strike!"
Skittle darts between Indo's legs and plunges his sword into the Queen, luckily hitting the real target. The Queen hisses again, and her eyes burn brighter with anger and pain. Pindara fires another magic missile at the Queen, but it hits the illusory image instead, dispelling it.
End of round 11.
Post your actions for next round. New map here.
Hammurabi grabs the large man's sword and treats it with honor and respect, he yells to lotus "Lady, make room for my advance", he then stalks towards the snake lady making an attack with the temple sword. he closes his eyes and yells "I have seen this moment before through the eyes of my guide, may the ancestral spirits of this sword favor my strike" He strikes from Lotus' side
DC 12 Will save for half damage (1d20-1=14)
Round 12 short sword attack (1d20+4=20, 1d6+2=8, 1d6=3, 1d4 =1)
Lotus manages to shake off most of the negative energy generated by the Queen, but knows she is nearing the end of her stamina. One more for the group then. she thinks as she strikes at the Queen with her sword. After that she immediately takes a step back to let Hammurabi through with his attack.
Indo stands this time, trusting the stone pillar to save him from her snake-arms. He lunges at her again, hoping to wrestle the snake-woman to the ground and choke the life out of her.
Bedu shrugs as the dark energy hits him again.
Will Save (1d20 3=17) 1 point of damage.
He moves passed Indo (Excuse me! as I brush between his legs) and unlimbers his bow as he goes, taking up a position next to the freed prisoner.
"Pleased to meet you, Bedu is my name." then he shoots at the snakewoman.
DM
Arrow fire into combat=20, Miss chance=4, and Damage=3
Before the above action: Hammurabi smiles and winks at Bedu, "I owe you and your friends my life, thank you"
Round 12:
Faint with pain and her wounds, Lotus holds on and strikes again. With the Queen's "double" gone from Indo's last attack, Lotus plunges her sword deep into the snake-woman's stomach. She immediately steps back to make way for Hammurabi. Bedu waddles his way around Indo, drawing his bow. He stops next to Hammurabi, and says, "Pleased to meet you, Bedu is my name." "I owe you and your friends my life, thank you," Hammurabi replies. Bedu fires an arrow at the serpent woman, but the wall and the press of combatants provide her cover and the arrow does not reach her. Indo stands and reaching over Skittle, lunges at the Queen again, but she again avoids his grasping arms. She backs away, trying to dart past Lotus.
Bedu staggers and sways with the effort of pulling his bowstring taut.
He now bears many wounds and under that thin goatee, his skin is steadily going a lighter shade of pale.
Round 12 Attack of Opportunity (1d20+4=14, 1d6+2=4)
Lotus is a bit taken back by the Queen's futile attempt at tumbling. She scoffs at the notion of a snake-woman performing such a delicate manouver. In the time she takes to think the Rogue forgets to make an accurate assessment of the trajectory for her attack. Her sword moves towards the Queen...
Round 12 (continued):
Lotus strikes at the fleeing Queen (she's a good dancer, but not an acrobat, apparently), but misses her as she runs past into the western half of the room.
Grabbing Indo's sword, Hammurabi makes ready to join Lotus in combat, but the snake dancer's flight forces a change in plans. He runs around the western wall to confront her and her new illusory double. She turns, preparing to spit a glob of her venomous, blinding saliva at the man. Closing his eyes, Hammurabi yells, "I have seen this moment before through the eyes of my guide, may the ancestral spirits of this sword favor my strike!" The temple sword whistles through the air, cleaving deeply into the serpent-woman's body. She falls to the floor, thrashing and vomiting blood, then finally, mercifully, goes still as the crimson light fades from her eyes.
The Queen with Burning Eyes is dead.
The Queen drawing her final breath is a sign for Lotus to sink to her knees in exhaustion. This was too much. she tells anyone close enough to hear.
Bedu moves out of the chamber shouting, "Liet! Liet!" He looks around for the cloistered cleric bow in hand.
Hammurabi offers the enlarged man back his blade, "Thank you tribesman, your ancestors are powerful indeed". Hammurabi then follows the dwarf called Bedu in his search for this man named Liet.
Once she has rested a moment, Lotus gets back to her feet and starts to search the bodies of the Queen and the Cult Leader for valuables. And she recovers the dagger she threw at the Queen earlier. Perhaps it was worth it...
She notices that Bedu has called after Liet, but the call for possible treasure is too great for her to resist.
Indo receives his blade and bows to the former sacrifice. Your courage in spite of your surroundings has saved you, and your saviors, it seems. We thank you.
Remembering the events in the early part of the struggle, Indo's eyes open wide, and he darts through the door, scraping his shoulders as he squeezes through.
Bedu, my friend. Be careful of those we left alive. They might still be dangerous. He approaches the cultist knocked out by his colored sand and tests him to be sure he is unable to fight. The big man pulls out an enlarged pare of shackles, which shrink considerably as they are fastened to the man.
If we want to know more, perhaps he will think his knowledge vaulable.
With the death of the snake Queen, Skittle cries out, "Mother!" and collapses to the ground, exhausted.
Will Save for First Energy Burst
(1d20=8)
Bedu runs out the door into the previous room, calling for Liet. Hammurabi and Indo are right behind him. Liet's motionless body lies on the floor. Indo goes to find his disabled cultist, but there seems to be one body missing.
Meanwhile, in the Queen's chambers, Lotus is looting the bodies.
The cult leader is wearing a coat, leggings, gauntlets, and skirt of scaled snake hide, and a cloak. He has a temple sword and another caduceus with 4 snake heads around his neck. On one of his fingers is a simple brass ring resembling an open-mouthed snake wrapped around its own tail. You also notice that he is still alive, though probably not for long.
Finally, the alcove in the southern end of the room appears to contain a small pile of items and gear.
Bedu rushes over to check out the fallen priest.
"Liet!"
The dwarf frantically tries to save him.
The Rogue takes the amulet and the mummified hand from the snake queen. Lotus pulls out her dagger when looting the man and comes a bit closer to the cult leaders ear to whisper some final words as she slits his throat. Time to go and meet your snake gods. May you suffer the terrors of their poison forever. Once he is dead she takes the coat, the gauntlets, the skirt of scaled snake hide, the cloak, the temple sword, the brass ring and the caduceus with 4 snake heads before moving to the alcove with the gear in it. She takes a quick look at the spoils before gathering it all up in her bag.
After that she draws her sword again to join the others in the previous room.
Bedu stops trying to help Liet after a while.
Bedu rushes over to check out the fallen priest.
"Liet!"
The dwarf frantically tries to save him.
Fortunately, he seems to be breathing. The bump on his head doesn't look too serious.
Once he is dead she takes the coat, the gauntlets, the skirt of scaled snake hide, the cloak, the temple sword, the brass ring and the caduceus with 4 snake heads before moving to the alcove with the gear in it. She takes a quick look at the spoils before gathering it all up in her bag.
After that she draws her sword again to join the others in the previous room.
Hammurabi:
Bedu pats Liet's cheek in relief.
"He lives. I shall go and listen for his assailant, although that is probably too late."
Bedu gets up and wanders over to the exit, he pops outside to check and listen for the fleeing cultist.
DM
Coming into the room carrying all the stuff from the alcove she puts it on the floor quite gently to search the bodies of the other cultists. Absently she notices that Liet is quite alright other then a bump on the head. Good to see you still with us Liet.
Skittle climbs to a stand, walks over to the cultist, and gives him a hard kick. After that he follows the others, and plops to the ground next to Liet. "Fantastic," he mumbles, "Now the healer needs healing."
With that, he rummages through his pockets for the potion found on the hobgoblin earlier. Pulling it out, he takes a look at it, says, "What the hell," and drinks it down.
"Excuse me my dear lady, it seems some of that gear is mine, do you mind if I take it, I will be of more use to your party if I am fully equiped."
With the new man claiming the gear she found in the alcove and just put on the floor while she searches the other bodies, she looks up at the man and flashes him a quick smile. You fought well, but with some unconventional methods you must tell me about some time. It was definately different then what Pindara uses. By all means, reclaim your possessions. She looks at Pindara a short time to see if the jibe has the result that she hoped for. One I can deal with, but two with these strange powers? I bet they aren't even registered.
Indo surveys the scene with an approving nod. Things may have seemed desperate, but the ancestors blessed us. Now, if we can find that amulet, and discern if these were related to the assassinations.
Bedu: You hear (and see) nothing in the ossuary room.
"is everyone well enough? What have we found? I for one need to rest and lose the chill from my bones. But we should not stay here when one of the cultists escaped to who knows where."
Bedu tries to assess just how fit everyone is.
"Was anyone bitten with poison? I shall attempt to stop any further harm to those wounds next." The dwarf waddles about his business, caring for the others, hmming a little as he moves from one to the next.
"Perhaps there is a story to be heard while I do this. Master Hammarubi may be you can tell us a tale or two, possibly ending in your near sacrifice?"
Indo is clearly battered, with significant wounds to his torso. He pours a little water over them to wash them out and relieve the sting if sweat.
He murmurs under his breath and his eyes glow an azure blue.
"Thank you my dear Lotus, I appreciate my gear, I would be honored if I may join up with you until we see the light of the sky, maybe longer if you will have me...." Hammurabi eagerly takes his possesions and feels more at home...more safe. To Bedu "I am unharmed, but my abilities are waning until I rest"
Bedu tries to assess just how fit everyone is.
"Was anyone bitten with poison? I shall attempt to stop any further harm to those wounds next." The dwarf waddles about his business, caring for the others, humming a little as he moves from one to the next.
No one seems to be poisoned. Hammurabi is unhurt, Pindara is only lightly wounded. Liet is unconscious but doesn't seem badly hurt. Everyone else is in pretty bad shape, with only a few hp each. Bedu can bandage the wounds, but without a healer's kit, he can't actually heal any damage.
The following items detect as magical: the Queen's mummified hand, the cult leader's cloak, and his ring.
Indo can make Spellcraft and Appraise checks for each if he wants to try and discover more info.
The 2 caduceus (caducei?) with 4 snake heads are not magical, but a DC 20 Knowledge (religion) check might shed some light on them:
The bodies of the two asp-men each have an urumi (steel coil whip-sword), a composite longbow, and arrows. The three dead cultists are wearing either red or green hooded robes, and are carrying curved daggers and a total of 33 gp. Each of them has a small snake tattoo on the back of his or her neck. The two thugs have various mundane gear: armor, saps, handaxes, clubs, etc.
The cult leader's temple sword looks to be of masterwork make, as does his serpentscale mail (his armor), and one of the thug's club.
The chest recovered from the Queen's chamber doesn't seem to have any sort of lock or catch. It appears that the repeating serpent pattern can be manipulated in some way to open the chest, but it's definitely a puzzle how to do so.
You're welcome for the equipment. For as much as I have to say about it you can join us. You'd really have to talk to Master Bedu for that, I recon.
After she has gathered all the valuable equipment from the sacrificial chamber Lotus will move to the ossuary room. There the rogue will loot the bodies of the master thug, the hobgoblin and the other two bodies that should be there.
Done claiming all the valuables Lotus thinks about the corpses. Shall we dump those in the pit?
Indo gathers many of the belongings, indicating for the others to divide the rest. I will find out how these things best help us while we rest. Brother, if you have no place to stay in the city, we will be happy to safekeep you and discuss our next step.
Turning to Master Bedu, Indo concludes, Will that be acceptible to you? It is your home, after all.
"Hammarubi has earnt his place with us...for the price of a tale. I for one, need a good night's rest and some quiet to gather my wits. We will need to carry poor Liet. Carefully. Let us leave, if everyone has finished their investigations and searches of the chambers."
Bedu readies to help carry one end of the cleric.
"Hammarubi, my humble barber's shop will welcome such a useful soul as yours. Please to come with us."
Bedu was unable to waken Liet, but someone else could try (untrained Heal check DC 15) if you don't want to carry him out.
Hammurabi looks a little nervous about returning to the city, but thinks he has hid like a coward in the jungle for far too long, he believes he looks different enough, there is no one who would ever recognize him...is there?:) "I would be honored Bedu, Indo, Pindara and Lotus, a barber shop hey, I have long been a hermit in this jungle I could use a hair cut and shave, maybe even find myself a bath" Hammurabi lightens his face and smiles, almost as an after thought he shares, "When I was rescued, one of the cultists freed my hands, she was a girl, and fell into the pit, I would like to try and recover her body if possible, to give her a proper burial" Hammurabi is saddened by this, but takes comfort that with her dying moments she left the cult and did the right thing, surley the rainbow serpent and god king will smile upon her for that.
Lotus moves to Liet to see if she can wake him up. She is however too inept to get anything done.
Hammurabi. That would honor the girl indeed. I'll try to help you recover her body after we have rested. Who knows what other treasures we will find down there. But first we need to get out of here and get some well deserved rest. Seeing noone responding to her earlier suggestion to dump the other bodies down the pit she shrugs and decides they aren't worth the effort to bother doing anything with them.
DC 15 Untrained Heal check (1d20=12)
Seeing the amount of things left to carry, and the condition of his friends, Indo places the loot and supplies down on the floor next to Liet. Putting his hands on the priest'd body, he presses along his thighs and ribs until the unconscious man grunts and rolls over.
It is good that he is unconscious, because this first repair is going to hurt. Indo lifts Liet's arm and places his hands near a bulge under his shoulder. With a sudden push of his fingers, the big jungle warrior pushes a rib back into place.
Liet grunts once more but his breathing seems less labored now. That will take the pressure off his lungs and let him breathe. He may even wake up soon. Who can help him further?
Looking into the pit, it goes down deeper than anyone's light or vision can penetrate - you can't see the bottom, nor any sign of the fallen cultist's body.
After Indo's ministrations, Liet comes to with a groan. He gingerly probes the bump on his head and looks around confusedly. "I'm starting to feel the God-Kings are not to be found in a place like this..." he mumbles, and wanders a little ways off in a daze.